Smash Champs: Super Guardians
by Ij500
Summary: When the Smash Champs face a supernatural enemy, they meet their match. To combat this foe, the Smash Champs gain superpowers. The Smash Champs must hone their newfound powers in order to defeat the enemy.
1. An Unknown Foe

**A Super Loss**

Teddy, Jag and Spike just came from a store after apprehending a couple thieves for attempting to rob it. The cops came and slapped the cuffs on the thieves and took them away.

"Another day, another crime averted." Jag said.

"At least today wasn't boring. Today was fun."

"Is anytime you get to beat people up a fun time for you?" Teddy asked

"Of course."

"Thanks boys, but don't try to play hero all the time."

"We're just being good Samaritans officer, just helping."

"Uh-huh." The officer said, skeptical. Once the police left, the public began to move on in their own ways. Once Jag, Teddy, and Spike left the store, they walked past someone in a white cloak. The cloaked figure and Jag bumped into each other.

"Oops, sorry sir."

"Be careful next time, okay pal?"

"Yeah, sorry about that."

The Smash Champs then kept walking. As for the figure, they stood there for a moment.

 _'Hmm. They might be the ones that could help me. Help me stop him.'_

He then disappeared.

As the day went on, the Smash Champs went on with their lives. At night, that's when things took a big turn. Jag and Al were having a sparring match while everyone else was sleeping. They were fighting in a clearing a few yards away from the dojo.

"Take this!"

Al fired three energy blasts, and Jag easily knocked each one away.

"You seriously need to up your game."

"Oh really?"

He recreated the energy blasts and launched the first one at Jag. However, when Jag intercepted it, it formed a ring around his left wrist.

"What the-? What's this supposed to do?"

"(chuckles) You like that?"

Al then fired another blast and the same thing happened when Jag blocked it with his right hand. The two rings on his wrists then connected together and formed into handcuffs.

"Hey!"

"Gotcha!"

Al fired the third blast and nailed Jag in the chest. He was on the ground and having trouble getting up.

"Guh! Great, arrested by my own teammate."

Jag had to play defensive and dodge Al's attacks as best as he could. Al managed to trip Jag with his tail and pressed his foot down on Jag's face.

"Get your foot off me! It reeks."

"Enjoy the smell! I'll consider taking my foot off on one condition."

"Forget it. You want team leader, you'll have beat me up for it."

"Gladly!"

Al had him pinned and started punching him.

"You like that? Want some more, Furball?"

"Laugh all you-" (hit) "-want." (hit) "I'm not" (hit) "quitting-" (hit) "-this fight."

Al punched Jag some more before he got hit from the side. He was then picked up and thrown into the air. He felt something grabbed him from behind and was brought down head first onto the ground.

"What the-? King?"

The gorilla then got up and started beating on his chest.

"You think we didn't know what you were up to?"

"What do you mean 'we'?"

Ember came out from behind a tree, and so did Teddy, and Spike.

"I swear, you two are like children fighting over a toy." Ember spoke.

"Oh please." Al spoke.

"But, for what it's worth, we were actually thinking about joining in."

"Really?" Jag said as Teddy broke the handcuffs apart. "Thanks, Ted."

"Why not? The more, the merrier as they say."

"Let's make some tag teams while we're at it. So much time going solo, let's make things interesting." Jag suggested.

"Couldn't agree more amigo."

They went with their usual partners, however, just before the match could start, a burst of energy came outta nowhere. Al sensed it coming, turned and grabbed it.

"Whoa!"

"What the-?"

"Huh?"

"Oy!"

Al managed to bounce the blast back and it hit a tree in the forest.

"Show yourself!"

A figure in a black cloak had emerged from the shadows, one paw covered in what looked like a fiery aura colored green.

"That was impressive. I've been searching for someone proficient in the arts of sorcery and magic."

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"(chuckles) You'll find out in due time. For right now, just know this. I'm looking for a good fight."

"Oh yeah?" Al said and his hands started surging in power. He fired a blast, which was knocked aside like nothing.

"What the hell?"

Al fired three more, each knocked away. He then fired a constant beam at the figure.

"Is that all you can do?"

"Huh, you don't know, do you?"

Al was simply distracting the figure so that Spike could sneak up behind them. Then, Spike lunged onto the figure.

"(laughs) Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha!"

Spike wrestled with the figure and it tried to throw him off. When it did, Spike had ripped off the hood and when he landed on the ground, he spit it out of his mouth.

"Yuck! Disgusting. That's disgusting."

"What the-?"

The figure was revealed to be a male lion, but what the Champs couldn't see was that on his forehead was a mark. One they've never seen before.

"A lion?"

"Hmmph, i didn't want to show myself too quickly, but it can't be helped now."

He closed his eyes and concentrated his energy. The mark on his head started glowing and both of his paws were covered in a green flame.

"Let's see how you can handle this."

He created multiple flames and fired them all at once. They scattered to aim at different targets. At first, everyone dodged them. But when they each dodged, the flames exploded behind them.

"Gah! What in the world?"

"Oh god, is my-?" Ember looked behind her, thinking she was on fire. Luckily, she wasn't. None of them were.

"Phew."

She then felt something wrapped around her. She looked down and saw a green fiery chain wrapped around her waist.

"What the-?"

She was then yanked over towards the lion.

"My, my. What a cute one you are."

He then put a hand on her chin, but she tried to break free. She then felt a little pain on her waist.

"Ah, ah, don't struggle. It only hurts if you do."

"What do you want from us?" She asked

"Well, i just wanted the alligator. But now, i'll take him and you!"

"What!?"

"No way! You're not taking my friends!" Teddy roared and charged towards the lion.

 _'Strength. A little hand-to-hand combat couldn't hurt.'_

He set Ember near a tree all tied up and cracked his knuckles.

"Teddy, be careful."

Teddy began throwing punches, but each one was either blocked or dodged. The lion then grabbed one of his fists and twisted his arm. It wasn't dislocated, but it was in pain.

"(roars)"

"Hmph."

Teddy used his free arm to try and break free anyway he could, but the lion pulled him forward, got behind and lifted him over his shoulder, slamming Teddy into the ground.

"You got a little weight on you. Lots of good muscle tone." He said as he stood up. "Can't tell whether or not this will be fun."

Teddy was quick to get back up and try to hit their enemy. However, not a single punch made contact. The lion then gathered energy in his fist and delivered a punch right to Teddy's gut. Right there on the spot, Teddy didn't move.

"Ted!"

"Teddy!"

(screams in pain)

As Teddy fell on his knees in pains, the lion was about to blast him, but got tackled from behind by King. The gorilla beat his chest and ran forward. He did a forward roll and grabbed the lion. When he stood up, he threw the lion into the air. Jag used one of trees and jumped to catch the lion in the air. They came down and Jag managed to slam him head first into the ground.

"You like that, you son of a bitch?"

"Not bad. Not bad."

Jag didn't waste any time going on the offensive. He made sure to hit the lion with all he had. Then, Al managed to step in and dish out some damage. Just then, Al and Jag attacked together. The lion then managed to catch Jag's fist and Al's foot.

"All right, now i'm getting steamed."

His hands then blasted Jag and Al away. They each crashed into a tree and fell to the ground. The next thing they knew, they felt a chain wrapped around their legs.

"What the-?"

Jag was the first to get swung around the place. He hit a couple trees and was slammed into the ground. Jag stopped resisting after that.

"Put him down!" Teddy roared and charged towards the lion with King right behind him. Jag felt himself getting thrown around again and made contact with Teddy.

Al was the next to get thrown around and was slammed against King. As for Spike, he was hiding in the trees from above waiting to ambush the lion.

"I see you. I see you all right." He whispered. He then jumped down from the branches to attack. Somehow the lion knew he was hiding, because Al was thrown into him, slamming the two against the tree. When they fell to the ground, Al was then used to slam him and Spike into the ground.

"Ugh, that... really... hurt."

Spike fell unconscious from the blow.

"Spike! Spike!" Al shouted.

"(sighs) Well, honestly, you all made me stretch a little. It was actually fun. But, i have matters to tend to with the fox and the gator."

"No tan rapido! Not so fast!"

He pulled on Al's chain and swung him into the gorilla. He then lifted Al into the air and slammed him and King into the ground. He then brought the gator closer. He used his powers and brought Ember closer to him.

"But, first things first."

He held up his hand and snapped his fingers. Two snares appeared and wrapped around Ember and Al's mouths. He then pointed a finger and a small amount of energy began to form at the tip of his finger. He then fired a beam at Ember's head first, then at Al's head. The beam put them into a sleep state without hurting either one.

"No!" Teddy said and got up as quickly as he could. The lion fired one more blast at Teddy, which sent the polar bear rolling into a tree. When he stopped, he saw the lion disappear with Ember and Al.

"No, he's... getting... away..."

Teddy tried to get up, but he was having trouble recovering from the blast he was hit with.

"Amigos!"

Teddy saw King running to him, just as he blacked out. Jag tried to get up, but couldn't.

 _'Who was that guy, and what does he want with our friends?'_

 **Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.**


	2. A New Ally?

**An Unknown Face**

The sun was rising signaling the start of the next day, and Smash Champs were in trouble. A lion with supernatural abilities came and beat them into next week and on top of that, abducted two of their companions. Right now, King was staying in the medical room with Teddy, Jag, and Spike on the beds recovering from their injuries. Sensei had tended to everyone's injuries the night before when King brought everyone back and explained the situation.

"Amigos, ay yi yi."

"What happened?"

King turned and saw Sensei standing in the door.

"No lo sé, I don't know. One minute we were having some late night training, the next thing we knew, this león came out of nowhere and attacked us."

"A lion?"

"He was no ordinary lion. He had supernatural powers and he beat us like a dusty rug. He then abducted Ember and Al."

"(sighs)"

"We don't know anything about him or what's he capable of."

"(grunts)"

King and Sensei looked up and saw Teddy moving. He was trying to get up.

"Teddy, amigo!"

King stood over Teddy.

"K-King? What... happened? I..."

"Relajarse, amigo. Relax."

King tried to keep Teddy laid down so his pain wouldn't get worse.

"My stomach... it hurts..."

"You took quite a beating. You should rest."

"What about everyone else?"

"Jag and Spike are here, but Ember and Al were taken. Remember?"

Teddy then thought back and briefly remembered Ember and Al being wrapped in chains and disappearing with the male lion.

"I remember them... being tied up... and... disappearing. I also... got blasted..."

"Take it easy, compañero."

"Yes, you must regain your strength."

"Sensei..."

"We don't know what it is you've faced, young one. For now, it is best to stay here and rest." He said and turn to leave.

"He's right, rest."

Teddy's gut was practically screaming for him to not fight the pain and rest. He realized that King and Sensei were right, so he lowered his head back down and his eyes closed.

As for Sensei, he was heading to his room to meditate and try to figure out how to deal with the lion that took down the team. He then heard knocking on the dojo's front door. He went to it and when he opened the door, the white figure Jag bumped into earlier, was standing at the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could help you."

"Excuse me?"

The figure then reached for the hood and pulled it back, revealing it's face. It was a female lion and she had a strange symbol on her forehead.

"I believe you have a team of 6 animals that fought a male lion. To be exact, those animals are: a jaguar, polar bear, hyena, gorilla, gator, and a fox. 2 of which were abducted and taken away."

Sensei had a shocked look on his face as the female lion explained all that.

 _'How does she know this?'_

"I know because I had witnessed it from last night. When I was in the woods taking a midnight walk, I overheard an explosion. I ran in the direction of the sound and found those same animals fighting a lion with supernatural abilities. However, they were losing and was defeated. 2 of them became the adversary's hostages and thus, was taken away."

"..."

"I came now to offer my assistance. I know who he is, and I can help defeat him. I'm asking for that chance to help. Please?" She asked

Sensei wasn't sure what to say. This lion seemed to know a lot just from watching and yet, she was offering to help them. Can she really be trusted? Or does she have some other ulterior motive?

"I understand that you're skeptical of me. But I don't mean any harm to you or your allies, I only just want to help."

"Hmm..."

"If you think I can't be trusted, I understand." She said and bowed her head.

"I'll make a deal with you: if I let you help me, you tell us EVERTYTHING you know. If you cause my team any harm, I will personally make you regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear. I promise, I won't cause any trouble." She then bowed her head again.

"I will be watching you." Sensei said and welcomed her in.

"Oh, I didn't properly introduce myself. My name's Lucia."

"I am Master Wu Chi."

He led her toward the medical room where King, Teddy, Spike and Jag were located.

"Sensei? Who's this?"

"My name is Lucia. I know about the lion who attacked you last night."

That got King's attention.

"I heard an explosion and saw the battle you were in. I came to offer my assistance."

"Assistance?"

Lucia walked over to Jag, who was still out of it. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The next thing King knew, the mark on her forehead started to glow white. Her eyes turned pure white and her hands started giving off a visible white radiance. It spread all over Jag's body and King couldn't tell, but it was healing Jag. Then, Jag woke up.

"(gasp) What-? Where am I?"

"Relax amigo, you're in the dojo. Lucia here helped you."

"Lucia?"

"That's my name."

She then walked over and did the same thing for Teddy and Spike. Once they woke up, Sensei brought them some water to drink. Everyone was sitting in the room as Lucia introduced herself and explained.

"Sensei says you know about the lion we fought before. Is that true?"

"Yes, I know him. His name is Rakan, one of the former members of a clan we're in called the Celeste Crusaders."

"What kind of group is that?" Teddy asked

"There are animals and humans in the city with a special talent like what you saw with Rakan. We're not known because we kept our talents hidden from the world. If people knew about our skills, there's no telling what they would do to us. Some people might try to take advantage of us, so we keeps our powers a secret."

"Really? Rakan sure showed us his talents."

"Hold on, you said 'former'. What did you mean by that?" Jag asked

"He was next in line to be the leader of our clan, however, he let it go to his head and didn't it take it seriously. There were times where he took advantage of his title and abused his powers. He then was exiled out of the clan, but he swore he would get revenge on us for kicking him out."

"But if this is about revenge, why abduct Al and Ember?"

"He needs backup because he knows full well, he can't take on the clan by himself."

"What does he plan on doing with our friends?"

"There's a ritual we perform when a new member joins our clan. If there is potential in them, we can sense it and help them tap into it. If he kidnapped your friends, he sensed potential in them and he's going to unleash that. He plans to use them in his plan for revenge. If he succeeds, he will rule the clan with an iron fist and there's no telling what he'll do after that."

"Thus, you came to ask us for help. You help us and we help you, is that right?" Jag said

"Yes. When I bumped into you by accident the other day, I wanted to ask you and your friends for help, but I didn't think you'd believe me."

"What about now?"

"Depends. If you do believe me, I can help you get your friends back from Rakan. I left the clan to go find help from someone, anyone with the potential. But I won't force you to do it. If you don't want to, I understand."

Everyone was silent as they thought about her offer. She was asking them for help in exchange for her helping them. But was she telling the truth? If she is telling the truth, they might have a chance at saving their friends. If not, they could be walking into a trap. They looked at each other wondering if someone was gonna say something.

"I'll go."

Everyone looked up and saw Jag standing up.

"If what you're saying is true about him, then someone needs to put him in his place."

"You'll help me?"

"As long as you help us rescue our friends, sure. Besides, I want a rematch since that guy had an unfair advantage." Jag said cocky

"Don't get ahead of yourself, young jaguar. You're still in weak condition."

"I've been through worse."

"He's right." Lucia agreed. "You can't challenge Rakan again in your current condition. You need to rest up until you're 100% better. All of you."

"What about Rakan?" Teddy asked

"He won't make a move right away. He may be arrogant, but he plots things to get what he wants."

"Well, if Jag is going, I'm going too!"

"Make that three of us." King added.

"What about you, Spike?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wanna go thrash Rakan. (laughs)"

"Wild as always." Teddy said

"Thank you, thank you all. Once you're all in peak condition, we'll head there. But for now, you should listen to your master and rest."

"Right."

Lucia stayed at the dojo while Teddy, Spike, Jag, and King spent the next few days recovering. Once they were ready, Lucia would help prepare them for the journey ahead.

 **Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.**


	3. The Ritual

**Arriving at the Dojo**

It had been 4 days since the night the Smash Champs fought against Rakan. After getting beaten down, Rakan took Ember and Al and disappeared into the night. The following morning, Lucia came to the dojo and explained who she and Rakan was, and their past. Rakan was exiled out of his clan and swore revenge. The Smash Champs had been resting and now they're fully ready for action. Right now, everyone was outside the dojo.

"I'd say you are all rested and ready."

"Yeah, glad to be back to my old self." Jag said and cracked his neck.

"So you really think we have powers like you?"

"Yes, I do." Lucia answered. "My clan can help you tap into that power to help you save your friends."

"Whoo-hoo! Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!" Spike said and started swinging his arm rock and roll style.

"So how do they do it?"

"First, we conduct a ritual to help you open up the door to it. Then you undergo a trial that will help you awaken it. But these trials are no easy feat, it will test you, challenge you, and push you to your limit. When backed against the wall, you'll then truly awaken your potential and your powers will be revealed."

"Backed against the wall? What wall?" Teddy asked.

"No, big guy. It means when you're at your limit, about to be beaten."

"Oh."

"The other members of the clan went through the same thing and some of them had been pretty brutal."

"Well, I doubt it will be brutal for me." Jag boasted

"We shall see." Lucia said.

She then turned and walked a short distance away from the dojo. She then closed her eyes and concentrated her power. She then had a ball of energy in her hand and it flew up into the air. It then created a symbol on the ground, under her feet and it grew really big.

"Whoa!"

"Magnífico!"

"Lucia, what is this?" Sensei asked

"It's how we're gonna get there. The location is secret so this is how we get to it. Come on."

King was the first to step inside the symbol, followed by Jag, Spike, and Teddy. Sensei hesitated at first, but then he stepped in. Lucia then made a hand sign and the symbol turned into a dome just bi enough for the six of them. Then, they disappeared into thin air, like they were never there to begin with. The group then reappeared in front of another dojo, but this one was different than the Smash Champ's dojo. The roofs were white, it was bigger than theirs, and it had a barrier protecting it, but you couldn't see it.

"Whoa, another dojo?"

"In terms of meditations, we believe a dojo provides the best setting."

"I see." Sensei said. On the inside, he agreed 100%, but didn't want to show it so soon.

As they made their way to the dojo, Lucia passed through the barrier with no trouble, but the others bumped into it.

"Oof!"

"Ow!"

"Gah!"

"A shield?"

"Oops, forgot about that."

"Forgot about it?" Jag asked skeptically

"That happened to me my first time here, too. This barrier has been put up to protect the dojo and everyone in it from any harm. Those who have tapped into their potential, like me, can pass through it without any trouble. Those who haven't or don't have the potential at all can't."

"So how do we get in?" Teddy asked

"I believe i can answer that." echoed a voice. Before everyone knew it, the wind started to pick up and blow intensely. Everyone except Lucia covered their eyes, and then a mini-tornado appeared in front of Lucia. When the wind died down, and the tornado vanished, they saw a male adult human standing in between them. He was also a little elderly like Sensei. He was dressed the same way as Lucia.

"Master Avery!"

"Wait a minute, 'Master'?"

"We call him that because 1: He's the leader of our clan and 2: his skills are far beyond your imagination, despite all appearances."

"Indeed. Lucia, may i ask why you have brought outsiders to our secret location?"

"She was seeking help, sir." Jag spoke. "She told us about Rakan and what happened before his exile. How he's seeking revenge against your clan. He also kidnapped two of our friends, to help further his plans."

"Wha-"

"Lucia came to us asking for help, and we worked out a deal. If we help her and your clan deal with Rakan, she helps us rescue our friends."

"Really, Lucia?"

"It was more like they set the deal and i agreed to it, but yes. For one thing, it was the only way we could help each other."

"Hmm."

"Sir, if i may," Sensei said and approached "I made sure Lucia tells us everything she knows if she wants our help."

"How much did she tell you about us?"

"Only how to awaken our hidden potential. She says we have it like you and your clan." Teddy answered. Avery closed his eyes and concentrated. Lucia was right, because he could sense the potential within each of them, on a deeper level.

"She's right, you do and we can help awaken that with our ritual."

"She also said that a trial follows suit, and only we can unlock it during the trial."

"Agreed, but there's something you should know. When you undergo these trials, you can't rely on your allies. You have to accomplish this feat alone."

"Really?"

"Really. Only you can awaken your potential, and you alone. If you are still willing to go through with it, speak now or be sent back to where you came from."

"We gave our word that we would help her, and we're not going back on it. Not today."

"Yeah!"

"Si, senor."

"That's why we came here."

Avery could sense the potential rising within them. They were serious about this.

"I see. Your resolve is firm, and with every passing moment it could get stronger. Very well then."

Avery placed one hand on the barrier and a hole opened up, allowing them to come in.

"Only Master Avery can allow outsiders without the potential to get in."

"Yeah, we just saw that."

* * *

 **The Ritual**

Avery and Lucia led them into the dojo and they were introduced to the whole clan. Some were humans, and others were animals. To be exact, 2 lions, a bear, a wolf, and a snow leopard.

"So they're like, the new recruits?"

"To a certain degree. Our enemy has become their enemy too. They have come to lent us their aid." Avery explained

"Really?"

Some of the clan members had skeptical looks on their faces.

"Our friends were taken by Rakan." Jag spoke. "He wants to use them in his revenge against you guys. We all want to stop him, but we can't stop him without your help. That's why we came, to ask for help and to help you."

"How can you help us?"

"We've been told that we have the potential just like all of you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's awesome." Spike jeered

"It's true, I sensed it within these warriors and the ritual will help them unlock the potential."

Some of the clan members had looks of doubt on their faces. But later on in the day, the time for the ritual arrived. Everyone gathered in a spacious room. There was three circles written in the center on the floorboards. A star was drawn in the center circle and the outermost circle had lit candles around it.

"It is time. The time for the ritual is upon us. But we can't do you all at once. Which one of you is willing to go first?"

The others looked at each other as they had no idea how the ritual was gonna go. Finally, one of them worked up the courage to go.

"Let me go first."

"Whoa, really?"

"Teddy?"

"Big guy, you sure?"

"One of us has to go first."

"You are noble and brave, polar bear."

"Thank you."

"Step into the center of the circle, young one. Once inside, sit down and don't move."

"(deep breath) Okay."

Teddy made his way to the center of the room and sat down in the center of the circle. Immediately, Avery, Lucia, Callie the snow leopard, and 2 humans gathered in different spots around the circle.

"Now, let us begin."

They closed their eyes and started concentrating. They started radiating their energy and the circles on the floor started glowing light blue. The candle flames got bigger, changed color too and the star in the center lit up as well. Then, something extravagant began to happen to Teddy, the lines rose up from the floor and into him.

"(groans)"

"Whoa"

"Ay yi yi"

"Teddy?"

Members of the clan stepped in front of Jag, Spike, and King to keep them from getting close.

"You must let him finish."

Avery then began chanting an unknown language, that is, unknown to the Smash Champs.

"(chanting)"

As the ritual went on, it started getting intense. When Avery started chanting louder, Teddy started feeling the energy getting intense.

"(chanting louder)"

"(groaning louder)"

Unbeknownst to him, on his back, the chinese character for 'bear' appeared and his fur started to change color. All of his fur changed to a mix of light blue and dark blue.

"(chanting loudest of all)"

At that moment, the energy Teddy was feeling reached its peak.

"RAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The five Crusaders standing around Teddy then lowered their hands and the radiating energy disappeared. The circles then got dark, the candle flames got small and returned back to their original colors. As for Teddy, his fur changed back to normal, the symbol disappeared, and then he collapsed on the ground.

"Teddy!"

"Let them come."

The other clan members stepped aside, allowing Jag, King and Spike to come to Teddy's side.

"Teddy, amigo. Despierta."

"Come on, wake up big guy."

"..."

"He'll be fine." Avery stated. "The ritual takes a serious toll on the body. His body isn't used to the energy currently coursing through his body. He will need time to adjust to his new status."

"How long?" Jag asked in a concerned tone

"We don't know." Lucia answered

"What? You don't know? How do we know he won't be okay?"

"Jaguar, stand down."

"What?"

"You need to calm down. We're guests here, and if Master Avery says the polar bear will be fine, we need to trust him."

"But...I..."

Jag was uneasy about Teddy's current state. But Sensei Wu was right about one thing, only Avery and his clan know how this situation works. They have no choice but to trust them.

"(sigh) Fine, but I'm staying by his side. If he's on bedrest, I staying with him so I can keep an eye on him."

"As you wish. Callie, Max, Jake, help him take our exhausted guest to recovery."

"Yes, Master." They said and helped carry Teddy to their medical room. It had a few medical tools, but the room was darker than the one at the Smash Champs dojo.

"Luckily, the ritual only exhausted your friend. No physical injuries so he'll just have to rest."

"I hope it's that easy."

They set him down on a bed and Callie lit up a couple candles and placed them near Teddy.

"You really care for the guy?" Max asked

"Yeah, he looks out for me and the others. You wouldn't know it, but he's got a big heart, bigger than we've seen. The month when we first met, we got into a nasty fight, and Teddy fought the hardest to protect us. He took the hardest blows, heaviest hits, the worst punishment."

"Really?" Max said. Listening to Jag telling Teddy's story of when they first met, he started to take a bit of interest.

 _'If he's got that big of a fighting spirit for his companions, I want to see how far he can go.'_

"Quite a story Jag. Well, we'll leave you with him. Let us know if you need anything or when he wakes up."

"Got it."

The snow leopard, lion, and bear then left the room, leaving Jag and Teddy alone. Jag looked at Teddy with a sad look on his face, one he wouldn't show the others.

 _'_ _Out of all the people and animals I met, you're the best one big guy. I don't know why, but somehow it's like you and I have a bond with each other. Come on Ted, pull through.'_

 **Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.**


	4. Teddy's Trial Begins

**Teddy's Trial, Part One**

The ritual had been done and Teddy was on bed rest again. After the ritual was performed, Teddy collapsed and was taken to recover in the medical room. Jag was sitting next to him, waiting on him to wake up. Brought back memories of when they first met and had their first sparring match.

 _"Here comes the knockdown!"_

Teddy then delivered a powerful uppercut to Jag sending him into the air and came back down unconscious. Teddy knocked him out so hard, he had to be taken to recovery. Teddy sat next to him as he waited to Jag to wake up.

"Talk about Deja vu."

* * *

 **Inside Teddy's mind...**

As for Teddy, he was somewhere in his head.

"(groans) Where am I?"

 _"In your own space."_

Teddy opened his eyes and saw that he was in a pitch black place, filled with water and ice. The air was cold too.

"Huh? What is this place?"

(water splashes)

Teddy then sat up and turned around and saw a light blue version of himself coming over to him.

"What the-? Who are you?"

"I'm you. Thanks to what happened to you, I've been awakened."

"Awakened? You were asleep?"

"To a degree. You see, you have a special power locked up inside you. That ritual helped open the door, and now you have to unleash it."

"Unleash it? How?"

"Only you can figure that out."

"Me? I'm not exactly the brightest animal on the team."

"Hmph, maybe or maybe not, but when it happens, you'll know."

He was then pushed back down by his other self.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"You weren't actually thinking of staying, were you?" Teddy's other self chuckled.

"Wait-"

But before he could say anything else, he found himself under the water and it all went dark.

* * *

 **Back to the dojo...**

Teddy then opened his eyes and saw the dojo ceiling and he looked and saw Jag next to him.

"Jag?"

"Ted! Oh man, you're awake. How you holding up?"

"I feel exhausted, tired."

"You rest big guy. I'll get the others."

So Jag left and went to get everyone. Soon, King, Spike, Sensei Wu, Lucia and Avery were in the room with them.

"How do you feel, young one?"

"Like everything's still spinning."

"Did anything happen to you?"

"I did see something weird. I had a dream where I was in this cold, dark, and wet place. I then saw myself walking across the water and was pushed back down."

"Hmm..." Avery said to himself.

"Some dream, big guy."

"So what happens now?" Sensei Wu asked

"For now, we need to let him rest. Once he's rested up and at full strength, he can begin his trial."

"What's the trial gonna be about?"

"You'll find out, young one."

"You're not gonna tell me?"

"It's how the trial goes, Teddy." Lucia explained. "We don't know what someone's trial is until it happens. Each person has a different trial."

"I wonder what mine will be."

"Whatever it is, we're here for you Ted."

"Convenido. Agreed."

"Yeah, we'll be unstoppable. Whoo!"

So for the rest of the day, Teddy was on bed rest. By the next day, he had fully recovered and was ready for his trial.

"Are you prepared for your trial, young one?"

"Whatever it is, I'm ready." He said, full of energy

"You are confidant, young one. Max!"

The black bear came up next to Avery.

"Yes, Master?"

"I want you to take part in Teddy's trial."

This was news to everyone.

"What?"

"Really?"

"M-Master Avery? Are you sure about this?"

"Indeed."

Before anyone knew what happened next, Avery snapped his fingers and both Teddy and Max were teleported towards a forest clearing.

"What the-?"

"Where are we?"

 _"Max!"_

Avery was using telepathy to communicate with Max.

"Avery?" He said to himself

 _"Listen to me, young bear. I want you to fight Teddy, as part of his trial. I knew how intrigued you were by his backstory, and you may be what he needs to unlock his potential. Understand?"_

 _"Understood, Master!"_

The communication ended and then he faced Teddy.

"Teddy, looks we'll be sparring together."

"Huh?"

"Master Avery spoke with me, and your trial is to face off against me."

"Really? I thought it would be more complicated than that. That's all it will take to unlock my potential?"

"We shall see." He said. Then, he pulled off his robe revealing what he was wearing underneath. He had bandages wrapped around his hands, elbows, feet, and chest. His pants were covered in dirt, scratches, and a couple of holes were in them too.

"Whoa!"

"I'm the strongest member of my clan, and believe me, my trial was brutal. I wondered if you were as strong as your companion says are, and I wanted to see for myself. Master Avery granted me that chance."

"I see." Teddy said and cracked his neck. He then raised up his fists and readied himself.

"Hmph, won't be an easy one." Max said and then slammed his hand on the ground which made it shake a little.

"Whoa."

Next thing Teddy knew, the ground underneath him started to rise and he went high into the air.

"The ground's rising."

Then, he saw Max jumping onto the platform.

"Yep, I can the ground rise and fall, create boulders from the ground, and send them flying at my opponents. But since you're new to this, i'll go easy on you."

"Hey! I'm no pushover!"

"We'll see."

Max then charged towards Teddy, who did the same and when their fists collided, a small shockwave sent the both of them sliding back a bit.

"Gah!"

"What? Can't handle that?"

"Don't be silly."

Teddy then ran to Max and started taking swings at Max, however Max easily dodged a few and then caught Teddy's fist.

"What's with the fingerless gloves? A bear like you should be using your bare hands."

"I'm a boxer, it's what I do."

"Huh"

Max then lifted Teddy into the air.

"Whoa!"

He then slammed the polar bear into the ground. Max then stomped his foot and a rock face rose up to their height. He then threw Teddy through the air and into the pillar.

"Ooof! Okay, that hurt a little bit." Teddy said in a painful tone

"How's that, polar bear?"

Max then jumped off the platform, and he bashed Teddy further into the pillar. He pushed off of Teddy and landed back on the platform.

"I'm not... giving up... just yet."

 _"Feels familiar, doesn't it?"_

"Huh?"

Teddy heard his other half's voice. His mind then flashed back to the dark place he saw earlier.

 _"Remember this feeling?"_

"What feeling?"

Just then, a piece of the rock face broke with Teddy on it, and it went down to the ground.

"What's going on?"

Just then, he saw Max jump down and smash Teddy into the ground.

"UGH!"

"Seriously?"

"I'm... not... a pushover...!"

"Come on, you can do better than this!"

Hearing that, Teddy's mind flashed back to when he was younger.

 _"Remember?"_

"Huh?"

Teddy then found himself in the dark place again.

"You again?"

 _"Yep. This isn't the first fight you been in and was over your head."_

"No it isn't, but what are you getting at?"

Teddy then felt his neck being grabbed.

"Aah! What's going on?"

 _"Your mind is focused on me, but your body can still feel the pain of the fight."_

Teddy then felt his gut get punched real hard, and was hit in the back of his head. He was then lying on the ground face first, and it triggered something.

 _"Remember?"_

 **Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.**


	5. Teddy's Trial Underway

**Teddy's Trial, Part Two**

Teddy was in a fight against Max, but his mind was someplace else. He saw his other self standing over him as he was lying on the ground.

"Wh-wh-what's going on?"

 _"You really don't remember?"_

His other half then moved to the side as Teddy felt his body being picked up and then got knocked back a few feet.

"(groans in pain) Why... can't i... fight back?"

 _"Not while you're in this headspace."_

Teddy then felt himself being picked up by his feet, and was thrown right into a rock pillar.

"(labored breathing) I... I..."

Teddy could see his bruises and scrapes from his beatings.

* * *

 **Outside his mind...**

Max was wondering why Teddy wasn't fighting back all of a sudden. He could see Teddy's eyes had been glowing, but he didn't say or do anything afterwards.

"Hey! Why you not fighting back now? Surely, you're not calling it quits."

Max went over to Teddy and looked him dead in the eye.

"Come on, tough guy. You can do better than this."

Max then delivered a heavy gut punch to the polar bear, and he didn't know it, but Teddy could feel every painful blow dished out to him.

* * *

As for Teddy, he couldn't help but feel defenseless and helpless. All he could do was take the punishment he suffered.

"If this.. keeps up... I'll... I'll..."

 _"You'll what?"_

Teddy's other self was standing in front of him, same spot where Max was standing in reality.

 _"What is it?"_

He then found himself back at a familiar place.

"What the- I remember this place."

 _"Yeah, hard to forget. You're first epic fight."_

Teddy started seeing himself along with his friends fighting against Dante and Max, the bears that kidnapped the Smash Champs and forced in a fighting competition. The team went through hell to get through to the end. Teddy remembers lying on the ground as he watched his friends get beaten to a bloody pulp. Jag, King, Al, Spike, and Ember each had gotten punched, stomped, kicked, and knocked around just for the bear's own entertainment.

"I remember those jerks, and what they did to us. We could barely fight back when they weakened us, and then pick a fight with us just for a game."

A small amount of Teddy's true potential sparked within him and his other self felt it. The feeling that ran through, his other self focused on that to make Teddy unleash it.

 _"You didn't take that well, did you?"_

"Of course not, I don't take kindly to people beating up my friends like that. When i- (grunts)"

Teddy felt another gut punch from his body.

* * *

 **With Max...**

"Come on!"

PUNCH!

Max had been punching Teddy against the rock wall he was pinned against.

"Surely you can do better than this."

PUNCH! PUNCH!

"Your feline friend talked big marks about you, and i wanted to see for myself. You're supposed to be a real hotshot, a tough guy. You took some heavy punishment, or was he lying about that?"

He then pulled Teddy out and slammed him into the ground.

* * *

"Gah! He wasn't lying!"

 _"Who wasn't lying about what?"_

"Jag! He wasn't lying about what he said. We went through hell to beat those guys. Just the thought of hearing that..."

That small spark kicked in again, this time a little bigger.

 _"What?"_

"Nobody calls my friends a liar."

Teddy then tried to push himself back onto his feet.

 _"Huh, you still have some fight left."_

"I'm not gonna just... throw in the towel. Not now." Teddy gasped. "Besides, my friends need me. Ember and Al are still missing, and i'm not gonna do nothing."

Teddy's potential started to kick in a lot more and soon, Teddy felt it.

"Ugh!"

 _"Tell me, why is it you want to help them so badly? You say they're your friends, but they barely know you and the other way around. You only met because of this team."_

"So!?"

 _"So, odds are, they may not think the same of you."_

"You're lying! You're sound just like him and those jerks!"

Teddy shot up and grabbed his other self in anger.

"They're my friends! I look out for them, and they look out for me!"

Teddy's potential built up and up so much, Teddy could feel it surging through his body. It just needed that final push.

* * *

 **With Max...**

"Tch, i expected better from you, but i guess the others were wrong about you. You're nothing."

That was the final push Teddy needed to unleash his potential. His other self vanished and Teddy felt his powers kicking in. He came back to reality and his eyes glowed blue, which caught Max's attention.

"Hmph, looks like something happening. Let's see if you're awake."

Max went for another punch, but Teddy caught his fist. Teddy was surprisingly stronger than usual, because Max couldn't get his fist any closer and Teddy started to get up.

"Let me tell you something." He said in a deep voice. "Talking trash about my friends is not cool with me. Don't you ever, call my friend Jag a liar!"

Teddy's skin began to change just like during the ritual, and the chinese character appeared on his back again. This time though, the effects stuck around, they didn't fade away. Energy began coursing through Teddy and when it reached its peak, he unleashed it in a big blast.

(roars)

The force of the blast sent Max flying back a lot of feet.

"Gah! Oof!"

Max landed face first into the ground, and was dizzy.

"(Groans) Talk about a big bang!"

When his head cleared and he gained his bearings, what he saw next surprised him.

"Whoa! This is... is..."

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.**


	6. The end of Teddy's Trial

**Teddy's Trial, Part Three**

Teddy had managed to unleash his true potential in his battle against Max, thanks to the bear's comments. When Teddy snapped, it cause the potential within him to explode, thus sending the grizzly bear rolling back a big distance. When the dust started to clear, and Max gained his bearings, he looked ahead and...

"Whoa! This...is..."

Max had noticed a big bunch of light blue ahead of him. When he looked up, he saw that Teddy had grown gigantic. He was as big as a skyscraper, and Max looked tiny compared to the polar bear.

(deep breathing)

"His potential has kicked in now!"

(thunderous roar)

"I'm huge!" Teddy's voice thundered. His voice was deeper and it echoed throughout the area. It also made the place rumble a little.

"Whoa!"

Teddy lifted up one of his giant feet and brought it down to step on Max, but he managed to avoid the stomp at the last second. The impact shook up the whole forest, and it was even felt at the dojo where everyone else was.

 **Back at the dojo...**

(rumbling)

Jag: "Whoa!"

Spike: "What was that?"

"Earthquake?"

"We've never had an earthquake here before."

"It wasn't an earthquake." Avery said.

"Master?"

"He has awakened his power."

"You mean Teddy?" Jag asked in surprise

 **Back with Teddy and Max...**

A big gaping hole the size of Teddy's titanic foot was made where the impact happened. Max looked behind himself in astonishment at Teddy's newfound strength.

"Holy!"

He got up and turned to see Teddy's other foot coming down for him, only he didn't have time to get out of the way. So he braced himself and intercepted the polar bear's foot. Max was using all his strength to keep Teddy's foot at bay.

Max: (grunts)

He managed to push Teddy's foot away, giving him some room. Teddy then brought a fist downward, but missed Max again. Max then jumped onto his fist, and the massive polar bear tried to grab him. Max kept hopping across the arms, climbing upwards and delivered a powerful blow to Teddy's head.

(roars in pain)

"Had to be done, gigantor."

He then slid down Teddy's fur and hopped down to the ground. When Teddy recovered from the attack, he started looking around for Max. When he saw him, he cuffed his hands together and brought them up.

"Now i'm really angry!" Teddy's voice boomed.

"You want a fight? Then bring it, gigantor."

But just as he was about to bring his fist down...

 _"Teddy!"_

Hearing that made him freeze on the spot. That voice sounded very familiar.

"Jag?" He said in a quiet tone, one that even Max could hear.

 _"Teddy, it's me, Jag! Calm down!"_

Teddy was struggling on what to do next. He wanted to finish the fight, but hearing Jag's voice made him hesitate every time he tried to move.

 _"Teddy, i don't know what's going on there, but Avery says that you're trial is over. You unlocked your hidden potential, big guy."_

Teddy then remembered what he was told before, about how the trial would push him to his limits and when it counted, his potential kicked on.

 _"Just calm down. It's gonna be okay."_

Teddy then felt his hands uncuff and he simply just stared into space. He didn't notice that as he calmed down, he began to shrink back to his regular size. Slowly, but surely he was turning back to normal. He returned to his normal size, his fur turned back to it's white color, the symbol on his back faded away. He felt so exhausted from burning off his newfound energy, that he fell to the ground. Max ran up to him to check his health.

"Just when things were getting good, Avery comes in. But, now that you've awakened your powers, we'll train you on sustaining your power." He said, but Teddy didn't hear any of it. He was too exhausted. Just then, Avery appeared and surrounded the three of them with an energy circle. They teleported back to the dojo, and they appeared in front of everyone.

"Teddy!"

"Amigo!"

Jag, King, Spike, and Wu came up to him.

"(breathing hard) What... was that...?"

"You're true potential, pal." Max explained. "Each person's powers are different and yours makes you grow at free will. But man, that was a sight to see."

"Giant?"

"Yeah, when he tried to stomp me, whoo boy! You should have seen how big that hole was."

"So that explains the earthquake we felt."

"His strength increases when he's at regular size too."

"(clears throat)"

The others turned to look at Avery.

"Much as i hate to break up the moment, i believe the young polar bear needs his rest. His newfound power has taken a toll on him."

"I'll take him." Jag offered.

"Let me help." Jag looked at Max in surprise.

"I was involved with his trial, so it's the least i can do."

Jag nodded his agreement and the two carried Teddy to the medical room. Just like before, he rested on the same bed.

"Back here again..." Teddy said quietly

"(chuckles) You've been through a lot, big guy."

"Yeah," Max agreed "I went through similar stuff during my trial."

"Well, you get your rest big guy. You're gonna need to be at your best if we want to rescue our friends."

"Yeah..." Teddy said and he closed his eyes to rest. Jag and Max stepped out the room.

"So what happens now?"

"Awakening to his newfound powers takes an even bigger toll than the ritual. It'll take longer for his body to adjust to his current state. He'll also have to train with us to control and hone in on his powers. In the meantime, Avery will decide the next course of action."

"Alright then."

So Max and Jag joined everyone else back in the main room as Avery discussed their plan on what to do next.

"While we wait for the polar bear to recover, we should start a new ritual for the next guest. We don't know when Rakan will make his next move, so we must be ready."

"You really feel that way, Master Avery?" Sensei Wu asked

"Yes. If he's willing to kidnap outsiders, there's no telling what he could be planning."

"I see." Sensei said and turned to his students. They looked at each other and decided that was the best course of action.

"Then it's decided. Whose going to be next?"

"I'll go." King volunteered.

"Are you sure?"

"Si. If Teddy could do it, so can we."

"Yeah, yeah!" Spike cheered on.

"Plus, esto es para nuestros amigos, Ember and Al."

"Yeah, big guy did his trial for our friends. We have to do the same!" Jag spoke.

"As long as you keep your friend's sake at heart, we'll save them. Everyone, let's get ready for the next ritual."

So everyone decided to prepare themselves for the next ritual. Each new ritual and trial was one step closer to rescuing Ember and Al, and stopping Rakan.

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.**


	7. Training and a New Ritual

**Ritual and Training**

(screaming)

(loud chanting)

King was undergoing the ritual needed to awaken his potential. The Celeste Crusaders were conducting the ritual the exact same way they did for Teddy, and King had different results. His fur color went from brown to black and light tan skin to blue skin. The chinese symbol for 'gorilla' appeared on his back and it glowed right through his clothes. When the ritual was over, King returned to normal and was mentally exhausted.

"Oy oy oy!"

"King, you okay?" Jag asked once they let the Champs get close.

"I... feel... cold. Muy frío."

He then fell back, but Teddy caught him.

"Gotcha! Whoa, he feels cold."

Jag and Spike placed a paw on King and they felt him getting colder and colder.

(shivering)

"S-S-So c-c-freezing!"

AH-ACHOO!

When King sneezed, he shot some ice out and it almost hit one of the Crusaders, but Avery saw it coming and blocked it from hitting them.

"Salud." Avery said in Spanish

"Gracias."

"He'll need a heat dome to keep his body temp warm until he gets used to his new powers."

"Right!" The others said. King was taken to a bedroom to rest and a dome barrier was created to warm him up. It would take some time for him to recover, but King won't wait longer than he has to. As for Teddy, the polar bear was with Max, trying to practice his newfound powers. Avery sent them both to a practice field in the forest to hone his abilities.

"You know, it's still pretty surprising that i grew giant-sized."

"Yeah, took me by surprise too. Today, we're gonna practice your newfound power. The more you do it, the better your body will adjust to the energy coursing through it."

"Okay."

Teddy closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He tried to picture himself growing huge again, and surprisingly it started working. He started to grow bigger and taller than the trees in the area. His voice got deep when he opened his eyes and spoke.

"Whoa! It worked!" His voice rumbled

"Sure did, gigantor!" Max shouted. Teddy crouched down and lowered one hand to the ground, then Max hopped on and Teddy brought him to his face as he stood back up.

"What did you say?"

Max then hopped off of Teddy's hand and onto his nose. He then climbed up to the top of Teddy's head.

"I said 'Sure did, gigantor.' Now, no doubt you're enjoying yourself, but don't stay like this for too long, you'll tire yourself out."

"Okay, but easier said than done. I haven't done this a lot." He said

"Right. Well anyway, Avery said that you'll be facing off against stone giants for practice."

The ground rumbled under Teddy's feet and he looked down. The ground cracked beneath him and he stepped out the way as a stone fist erupted from the ground. Then, another fist erupted and then before he knew it, there was at least 5 stone giants.

"Whoa."

"Avery gave me a little boost in power to create them. Think you can handle it?"

Teddy saw what he was up against, but when he thought about his missing friends, he cracked his knuckles.

"If it's to save my friends, so be it."

Teddy raised his fists like the boxer he is, and then the first stone giant ran to him. Teddy ran as well and both giants locked hands in a head on collision. Then the stone giant banged heads with Teddy, knocking him back.

"Ouch!" Teddy screamed. He then saw another attack coming and ducked. He then grabbed the stone giant and lifted him over his head.

"Take this!"

He then tossed the giant into 2 others and knocked them down. He then saw the fourth one coming and went on the offensive. Teddy ran towards and instead of swinging a punch at it, he ran and tackled the stone giant to the ground. He then got on top of it, and then started punching it repeatedly in the face. Bits and pieces of rock came off with every punch, and Teddy's final punch knocked it out of commission. When he stood back up to catch his breath, he got tackled from behind.

"Oof!"

The stone giant grabbed Teddy from behind, and held him in an armlock. The other stone giants recovered and saw Teddy in his current state, and ganged up on him. They started punching and kicking him, and he couldn't break free. He was then knocked down onto his knees.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's almost at the end of his rope." Max taunted, but Teddy wasn't going to give up.

"No, (hit) I'm (hit) not!"

Teddy managed to grab two different fists, kicked away a third giant, and headbutted the fourth one. He then pulled the two stone giants in his grasp together and smashed them into each other. He then delivered a lariat to one of them and grabbed the other one. He lifted him up over his shoulder and leaned back, bodyslamming the two stone giants. That last attack turned them both into piles of rubble.

"All right, who's next?" Teddy roared and one of the last remaining stone giants charged at him. He did the same and when he got close, he ducked under a fist thrown and grabbed the stone giant's body. He then lifted the stone giant and tossed it aside, and when he came back down, Teddy jumped and bodyslammed his opponent with a massive THUD! The stone giant crumbled, and Teddy had won.

"All right! I won!" He said exhausted. It took a lot more energy to move around as a giant compared to when he was normal size. Teddy then started to slowly shrink back down, little by little. He and Max noticed this, and Max jumped down from Teddy's head onto the ground. The polar bear collapsed on the ground exhausted, and his breathing was heavy.

"Tired?" Max joked

"Ha ha, very funny. Can you help me up please? I barely have any energy left."

Max grabbed Teddy's arm and put it around his shoulder, then lifted Teddy up onto his feet.

"Thanks."

"Gotta say, you handled yourself well. We'll keep working on pacing yourself once you get all your strength back."

"Right"

 **A couple days later...**

King managed to recover from his powers kicking in, but he wasn't at 100% yet. But the gorilla wasn't going to wait another second longer. He was willing to face his trial in his current state.

"You sure, young one?" Avery asked

"Si, senor. I must complete my trial as soon as possible."

"You're not fully recovered King." Teddy mentioned "You sure about this?"

"No te preocupes por mi, don't worry about me."

"If you're sure, i won't stop you. But yours will be a daring one."

Avery held up his hand, snapped his fingers and King had begun his trial.

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter and plea** **se review.**


End file.
